California’s Electric Truck Mandate CRUSHED

Triangle warning sign with exclamation mark against sky — CALIFORNIA SUFFERED A CRUSHING BLOW

California has officially surrendered its electric truck mandate after President Trump stripped the state of its federal authority to impose vehicle emission standards stricter than national requirements.

Story Highlights

California Air Resources Board repealed the electric truck mandate on September 25, 2025.
Trump signed Congressional Review Act resolutions in June blocking California’s EPA waivers.
American Trucking Associations praised the repeal as restoring regulatory certainty.
Governor Newsom threatens legal challenges despite losing federal authority.

Federal Authority Crushes State Overreach

President Trump delivered on his campaign promise by signing three Congressional Review Act resolutions on June 12-13, 2025, effectively revoking California’s EPA waivers that allowed the state to set stricter vehicle emission standards.

Trump declared the action would “officially rescue the US auto industry from destruction by terminating California’s electric vehicle mandate, once and for all.” The federal intervention demonstrates the constitutional principle that states cannot impose burdensome regulations that harm interstate commerce and national economic competitiveness.

The California Air Resources Board had no choice but to formally repeal its Advanced Clean Fleets rule.

The mandate, originally implemented in 2022, required large trucking companies to transition to electric vehicles with the goal of achieving 100% zero-emission truck sales by 2035.

Without federal waivers, California lost its legal authority to enforce emission standards beyond federal requirements, marking a decisive victory for constitutional governance over progressive state activism.

Industry Relief After Years of Economic Pressure

The American Trucking Associations celebrated the repeal as a restoration of regulatory sanity for an industry struggling under California’s unrealistic mandates. ATA President Chris Spear applauded the move for bringing much-needed “certainty” to trucking operations across the nation.

Industry groups had consistently argued that California’s aggressive timeline was “unrealistic and unachievable,” citing prohibitive costs and inadequate charging infrastructure that threatened to cripple freight transportation.

Trucking companies faced impossible choices under Newsom’s green agenda: invest millions in unproven electric technology that couldn’t handle long-haul routes, or face penalties and potential business closure.

The federal intervention saves countless jobs and prevents the collapse of supply chains that depend on reliable, cost-effective freight transportation. This common-sense approach prioritizes economic reality over environmental virtue signaling that ignores technological limitations and market forces.

Trump Defeats Newsom as California Repeals Electric Truck Mandate https://t.co/Mz5XbRBlRo via @BreitbartNews

— DW (@davidfromdetroi) September 27, 2025

Newsom’s Climate Agenda Hits Constitutional Reality

Governor Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta have announced their intention to challenge the federal actions in court, despite clearly lacking legal standing after losing their EPA waivers.

Their defiant stance represents the continued disconnect between progressive state leaders and constitutional limitations on state authority. California’s unique position under the Clean Air Act to set stricter emission standards has always been subject to federal approval, not an inherent state right.

The repeal sets a crucial precedent for federal preemption of state climate initiatives that exceed reasonable bounds and harm national economic interests. Other states that blindly followed California’s lead now face uncertainty about their own copycat mandates.

This outcome demonstrates how radical environmental policies crumble when confronted with federal oversight that considers broader economic impacts and technological feasibility rather than political posturing.

Long-Term Victory for American Energy Independence

The successful rollback of California’s electric truck mandate represents more than regulatory relief for the trucking industry. It signals a return to energy policies that prioritize American economic strength and technological pragmatism over unrealistic green mandates imposed by unelected bureaucrats.

The federal government has restored its proper role in setting uniform national standards that don’t penalize states for refusing to adopt California’s experimental policies.

This victory protects American workers and consumers from the devastating economic consequences of premature forced electrification. The trucking industry can now focus on genuine innovation and efficiency improvements rather than compliance with politically motivated mandates that ignore market realities.

President Trump’s decisive action proves that federal leadership can effectively counter state overreach when constitutional principles and economic common sense are at stake.